The author (not pictured) said it has been hard to strike a balance between setting boundaries and feeling like she is doing enough while living with her in-laws.
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I live in a three-generation household with my husband, our three children, and my in-laws.Like many women in multigenerational homes, I carry a lot — an endless array of responsibilities, or at least that's how it often feels. Household chores, children's schedules, routines, emotional needs, school concerns, and all the invisible things that somehow land on the woman of the house.But over the years, I learned something important: If I tried to carry everything, I would burn out. So, gradually, I drew certain boundaries. Not dramatic ones. Mostly quiet, mental ones. One very significant shift was reminding myself — and, in subtle ways, others too — that when it came to my in-laws, the primary responsibility rested with my husband. They are his parents first.It doesn't mean I don't care. I do. But somewhere over the years, it became clear that for my own sanity — and to make sure I could do what I was responsible for properly — I needed to take a few steps back.
The author, shown with her three children, said she knew she needed to step back in her responsibilities at home to protect her own well-being.
